2017 films that need watching
2017 was a very fine year for filmmaking. There are too many great films I haven’t found time to write about, so many more I haven’t seen, so let’s make it clear: this is not a top 10. So. Let’s talk about films.
The instant classic: Baby Driver
Hell yeah
Edgar Wright can’t do a bad movie. If I had to pick one word for his filmography, I’d use “rythm”. His frenetic use of rapid cut montages that turn even the most mundane activities into entertaining little moments (See the Cornetto Trilogy). His incredible use of background, sound effects and transitions turned Scott Pilgrim Vs The World into a really fun adventure with no boring moments… But Baby Driver takes all of that to the power of ten. The elevator pitch is simple: An action film cut to the beat of the music tracks. But Baby Driver is much more. A straightforward, self contained, character driven action that embodies coolness, boasting my favorite cast of the year and definitely the best playlist, Baby Driver was a film that begged to be done. Its narrative is kept to the bare minimum in terms of complexity, characters are clear, colorful and developed, emotion runs high… Yeah, people will watch that film for a long time. And so should you.
Not convinced? Read this: Baby Driver: Killer Track
The important one: Get Out
One of the best scenes of the year.
Get Out is directed by the incredible comedian Jordan Peele, whose comedy usually centers around questions of racial tensions in american society. With Get Out, Peele creates a film utterly terrifying in its reality. The horror doesn’t come from the monster in the dark, it comes from the rich white parents of our main character’s girlfriend. Peele crafts in this first film an uncomfortable journey as we follow Chris as he spends the weekend surrounded by those white people who try way too hard to make it seem like they’re okay with his presence. Interestingly, the film is as hilarious as it is scary, without one having much influence on the other. What is meant to be funny is funny and doesn’t make the horror any less than it is. It’s a film that makes you rethink how you think about racism and the way you yourself might act in certain situations. And when the horror movie villains say things you might have said... That's when it's scary.
The quiet thriller: Wind River
Acting at its finest
I always suspected that Jeremy Renner was an excellent actor, hidden under those many action hero roles. Wind River gave us a performance of a lifetime. It takes place in a native american reserve where a young girl is found murdered. An inexperienced but eager FBI agent (beautifully played by Elisabeth Olsen) pairs up with Renner’s broken tracker to solve the murder. A thriller that privileges silence over bombastic gunfights and car explosions, it never pretends to be any more than it is. The narrative is not overly complicated, but that gives plenty of room to explore the grief of the characters and explore the deep feelings of alienation and loss of identity felt by the inhabitants of the reserve. But as quiet as it is, the third act delivers on nail-biting tension that becomes twice as earned. For a first time director, Taylor Sheridan shows cleverness in his way to approach those scenes, which makes the film really refreshing in and of itself, but coupled with the subject matter and the performances, makes it absolutely unmissable.
The one I’ll rewatch: Logan
YES.
I have a list of films I make sure to watch at least once a year, and so far I’ve rewatched Logan three times since it’s come out. It doesn’t lose any of its effect. If anyone says that the superhero genre is going to die, give them Logan. If anyone says blockbusters can’t be more than entertainment, give them Logan. If anyone says Hugh Jackman is all muscle and no talent, give. Them. Logan. A film that never ceases to impress me, it does the all too well known character of Wolverine the justice it deserves, as well as introducing my favorite child actor of the year in Dafne Keen (who plays Laura). It’s a character driven film about regret, loss, old age and parenthood. It delivers small scale, bloody action while never trying to show off, instead trying to disgust you from violence altogether. Shot like a western, it delivers on so many emotions, that ultimately, this film just inspires me to make more films.
Not convinced? Read this: Logan: One Last Time
The experience: Mother!
Leave that woman alone! I can't take it anymore!
I’m not the biggest Darren Aronovsky fan. His films range from brilliant (Requiem for a dream, Black Swan, the Fountain) to … meh (Noah… Why…). But Mother! is something else. It’s been a number of months since I’ve seen it, but what I experienced during that film is something I’ll probably never forget. Love it or hate it, this film made you feel something incredibly powerful and unforgettable. It’s not for the faint of heart and it made me stop and wonder if what was on screen was even allowed in a film. Jennifer Lawrence carries the film on her shoulders with her best performance to date. Constantly shot in close ups, we are forced to empathize with her on levels that films rarely risk doing. It pays off. The emotion runs so high in this film I swear I could feel my heart pumping in my chest. It's a times extremely disturbing and horrific... But you can't take your eyes off the screen. It's a completely hypnotic experience. I wouldn’t be able to sum that film up if I wanted to, so my final word will just be that it is an incredibly unique film that will get you thinking for a long time… And that’s already a big statement.
The lesson: Justice League
Look at this lazy photoshop poster... It's the official one
I hate that film. I really wanted to like it, but the end result is so laughably bad that it ends up being a lesson in what not to do in filmmaking. Me and my friends just ended up laughing all the way through. A two hour film that tries to set up at least five more, it spends so little time on each character that during the entire first half, every scene lasts barely more than a minute, making the audience process a lot of information that they… Don’t care about? The plot is so lazily put together that the filmmakers try to convey a sense of mystery around the new characters’ backstories so they don’t have to explain it. The result is that you never care about any of the characters. Aquaman is a dick, Cyborg is so broody he becomes annoying and Flash is just unfunny and irritating. When the characters sometimes become interesting (mostly thanks to Superman and Wonder Woman), the glaring CGI and green screen mistakes keep taking you out of the film. The villain is a rubbery 3D model that bounces everywhere when he gets hit and has absolutely no charisma whatsoever. So yeah, I encourage you to download this film for free and have a look. Preferably drunk. It’s definitely better that way.
No need for the trailer, none of it is in the film anyway.
The Super: Spiderman: Homecoming
Spiderman, as Spiderman should be
This is the sixth spiderman movie. What could there possibly be left to say... Oh I know, how about what made him popular in the first place: he’s a kid. Tom Holland’s portrayal of the character had won me over in ten minutes in Civil War, but here, with his own supporting cast (and Tony Stark), he gets to fully explore… Spidey. This is a film that inscribes itself within the timeline of the MCU so well it should become the textbook example for the universe going foward. Everyone in this film is great. From Aunt May to Ned (who is actually hilarious, not going to lie), the film gives us plenty of reason to love this version of New York that Spiderman now lives in.
Having a street level spiderman, who gives an old lady directions, tries to stop a guy into breaking into his own car and just wants to deal with his crush and his bully and -- yeah. It’s pretty great. This is Spiderman at his finest. Being a kid, he makes his mistakes and has all of those concerns that make him so relatable. Adding into it his relationship with Tony Stark, which gives both of them a very interesting story arc, and you get the best Spiderman film ever. Bam.
Oh and a final word. Michael Keaton’s vulture is probably my favorite movie antagonist of the year. He’s relatable, menacing, charming, flawed… He doesn’t “have a point” like everyone says about him. He’s just a guy, the same way Spidey is just a kid. He’s not evil, hell, he could be the hero of his own heist movie…
No trailer here. Keep the surprises for the film.
The Indie: The Florida Project
One of Dafoe's best performances
Directed by Sean Baker, aka the guy who made Tangerine, an incredible film with an iphone, comes this little gem of indie goodness. One location (a motel outside Disney World), a bunch of incredible kids, an incredible first time actress and Willem Dafoe. Baker accomplishes so much with so little that the film feels like an intimate experience. Beautifully shot and edited, carried by the adorably hilarious 7 year olds (who are essentially playing in front the camera), this film is a rollercoaster of emotions. The film really is about the innocence of childhood against a backdrop of poverty and harsh life choices. It's kids trying to grapple with what is going on in the adult world. Truly heatbreaking. Films like these are going to start popping up more and more as A-listers like Dafoe have begun to team up with Indie filmmakers. Possibly the simplest film of the year, it will leave you with striking visuals and moments of pure humanity. If anything, I’d advise looking out for films like these in the future.
The short one: The Party
Goddammit these two...
The Party has the best dialogue of the year, hands down. An amazing cast of characters just talking in the same room, all there for different reasons, to celebrate Janet (Kirstin Scott Thomas)’s election. As the film progresses, interwoven tales of secrets and lies burst in the open. Twists and turns fly by the minute. It becomes a hilariously tragic tale of misdirection and miscommunication. Cillian Murphy goes through cocaine as fast as Patricia Clarkson finds new ways to insult Bruno Ganz. Meanwhile, Timothy Spall sits and drinks, rambling about everything he can to make everyone else miserable. It’s so interesting in its setting and cast that it becomes a great watch. However, its main flaw is its length. Being barely over an hour long, the film ultimately doesn’t feel like one, but in all honesty, it’s so slick and clever that you won’t regret filling that empty hour of your day with this one.
The Comedy: the Death of Stalin
Perfect cast.
Adapted from a french graphic novel, The Death of Stalin is a comedy about the weeks that followed… Well… The death of Stalin. Written and directed by Armando Iannuci (The thick of it, In the loop), the film follows an incredible cast (Jason isaacs, Steve Buscemi, Rupert Friend…) playing the various pawns of Stalin as they all try to grab power for themselves. Delightfully irreverent and clever, this is a comedy without a single dull moment or character, everyone is given a chance to shine. It’s a world as immoral as can be imagined, with characters entirely aware of it. There is one story, one goal, and the pace is as fast as the jokes. I’m pretty sure I missed out on a lot of them because I was laughing so much. The grandiose sets of the Kremlin paired with the stupidities of those characters creates this incredibly offset atmosphere that allowed Iannuci to just… Have fun. And it shows. I’m pretty sure most of the actors just had the time of their life on set. The film however never pretends to be anything else than it is. There are no attempts at grand political ideas or morals. This is Iannuci, he just wants us in tears laughing.
If I could, I would list all my favorite jokes from the film, but that would mean not leaving any space for the other films of the list. As comedies go, this one is as flawless as one can be.
The Best: Blade Runner 2049
Goddmmit everything in this film is beautiful
Best for last, my favorite film of the year, by one of my favorite directors. This film… it’s an experience. Contemplative, thoughtful, it adds so much to the original without ever seeming like it fan services. This is a completely original story, no rehashing, full of plot twists and turns. The visuals are the best of the year and are worth your watching the film just for them. The ideas and themes are powerful and explored better than they did in the original classic. The acting in this film is incredible. Harrison Ford and Gosling’s performances were so damn powerful they are going to be engraved in my head forever. The supporting cast, especially Ana de Armas’ Joi, just make this movie a home run. It’s a film that takes its time, letting you wallow in the sheer emotion of the visuals and stories. In an era where pace is everything, Villeneuve here demonstrates masterful control of the speed of the film. He stops scenes from becoming dull just as he stops them from ending too fast. Everything is just right. This is a film that respects its audience, it doesn’t force morals or plot points down our throats, but just gives you what you need. Hans Zimmer’s music, the icing on the cake, immerses you totally into the film, blending with the atmosphere to make it a really transcendent, almost poetic, experience.
This is incredible sci-fi and my favorite film of the year. An instant classic among the instant classics.
Not convinced? read this: Blade Runner 2049: Nailed it
Honorable mentions:
Loving Vincent, Thor Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Wonder Woman (the first two thirds), It, Okja, Beauty and the Beast, Kingsman 2, A ghost story, Lego Batman